Masturbation: A Sin or Not?

In my 43 years of propagating God’s words in the Bible, I have come across numerous people asking me what the Bible says about masturbation: Is it a sin to masturbate or not? Many religious denominations condemn masturbation in whatever manner it is done. In the present Jewish religion, a rabbi has this to say —
“Kabbalah is very explicit about the negative spiritual side-effects of masturbation. The idea is as follows: Your seed is the material by which you procreate; it is the genetic material within you that allows you the opportunity to partner with G-d. When we let human seed go to waste, we squander G-d’s sacred and divine potential” [From AskMoses.com]
While the Jehovah’s witnesses have this to say —

"You Must Be Holy Because Jehovah Is Holy," Watchtower, February 15, 1976. pp.122-123.

“15 In recent years, homosexuality has swept the world. These homosexuals claim that they are ‘bringing it out of the closet’ and they brag by saying, ‘We are proud to be such.’ It was apparent that this erosion of moral standards could pose a danger or threat for God’s holy people, so the congregations were alerted and wrongdoers were cleaned out. Likewise, unclean practices, such as masturbation, which can be a steppingstone to homosexuality, have been dealt with in a serious, yet understanding way, to help individuals keep clean and pure in Jehovah's eyes” [From Watchtowerinformationservice.org ]

Sin is defined in the Bible as transgression of the law.

(1 John 3:4) “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

Everything unrighteous is sin.

(1 John 5:17) “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”

It is a known fact and scientifically accepted that every normal human person experiences occasional lust of the flesh. Even the apostles of Christ testify to this.

(James 1:14) “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

Sexual urges in humans is but as natural as experiencing hunger, thirst, tiredness, and the like. It is one of the most important processes in the human body. This feeling is moderated by God’s laws and statutes among His people, like the Israelites, because this is God’s instrument in the process of procreation. The Lord killed Onan when he did not obey God’s law to raise seed for his brother who died, and spilled it on the ground.

(Genesis 38:8-10) “And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.”

Onan did not masturbate, as others claim. He lay with his brother’s wife to enjoy the pleasure of sex, but at the point of orgasm, he spilled it on the ground in utter defiance of God’s commandment. So, he was condemned to death.

Frankly speaking, most men (and women), if not all, masturbate — especially those without sexual partners. Even those with sexual partners, like husbands and wives do masturbate also, when situations do not allow them to have sexual intercourse; like when a woman has her period or is pregnant and about to deliver her baby. In a clinic, a man is required by a doctor to masturbate when a physical checkup and evaluation of his capacity to bear children.

In the biblical sense of righteousness, these situations can not be considered as sin. If a married man or woman, a bachelor, or a spinster, does masturbate to refrain from doing evil or infidelity to his or her partner, are you going to consider it a sin?

(1 Corinthians 7:29; 31) “But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;”

“And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.”

Scientifically, there is also evil in too much indulgence in everything we do to our body. Overindulgence in eating, drinking, and the like, will cause us to sin and scientifically will eventually cause diseases in our bodies. (Link)

Gluttony is being condemned by the Bible.

(Proverbs 23:20) “Be not among winebibbers, or among gluttonous eaters of meat…” RSV

Overindulgence in masturbation poses psychological and physiological imbalances.(Link)
Scientifically, there are benefits of regular, but not overindulgence, in masturbation. In a recent study, researchers say that "They found those who had ejaculated the most between the ages of 20 and 50 were the least likely to develop the cancer." They say that "Men who ejaculated more than five times a week were a third less likely to develop prostate cancer later in life." [From BBC.co.uk] ]

I do not recommend masturbation to anybody, neither do I encourage anybody to make it a scapegoat for their immoral sexual addictions, but I will not judge nor condemn anybody, who, because of force of circumstances, and not with an evil mind, is doing the act. God judges according to the intents of the heart!

(Jeremiah 17:9-10) “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

Sins committed by a Christian due to the ‘weakness’ of his flesh are pardonable under God’s mercy.

(Galatians 6:1) "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."

It is better to marry than to burn.

(1 Corinthians 7:9, RSV) “But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.”

May the Lord teach your heart of the proper things to do through His words in the Bible.
God bless,
Bro. Eli F. Soriano

Published on May 27th, 2007 at esoriano.wordpress.com